It is known that by subjecting a lock of hair to the action of water vapour superheated to a temperature of between 100.degree. and 150.degree. C. for a few seconds, the operation on the hair is considerably improved, such as, for example, the operation of setting: in this case in particular, the set holds better, the hair treated is softer, more shiny; such a method is described in FR-A-2,273,492; this document also indicates that the water vapour may be combined with other fluids such as reducing gases, oxidizers in order, for example, to bring about permanent deformation of the hair. Regardless of the treatment, it has been observed that treating hair using vapour has the great advantage of treating the hair within the mass of the hairs, and not at their surface and makes it possible to obtain results which are superior in terms of intensity, faster, and which leave the surface of the hair in a better condition.
Until now, operating on hair using vapour has been carried out with the aid of appliances, like those described in FR-A-2,273,492, already mentioned, which comprise a tool holder equipped with a grip for holding, into which the vapour generator is incorporated, and capable of being inserted into a roller which has already been positioned in the hair; in some other appliances, like the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,602, the tool, such as a comb, is also incorporated into the tool holder, this device being designed, however, for applying treatment products in the hot state, via thick liquids.
The appliances hereinabove of the prior art have drawbacks: they are necessarily heavy and voluminous, and therefore not very easy to use, and are often noisy and therefore detract from the comfort of the person whose hair is being operated on.
It has already been proposed, especially in CH-A-167,656, to arrange the generator and the tool holder to be distant from one another and to connect them using a flexible tubing including at least one pipe for supplying the tool holder with vapour.
By virtue of this arrangement, according to which the generator may furthermore be housed in a casing configured as a trailing device which can be placed on the ground, the drawbacks mentioned hereinabove are eliminated; however, an assembly according to this document, apart from being complicated, does not allow good distribution of vapour through the tool, regardless of the nature of the latter, the vapour leaving the tool holder directly into the tool in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool holder.
The object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks.